Plans to stage Barclays Premier League games in major cities outside of England have been given a cautious welcome by Major League Soccer in the United
States.

The Premier League are to debate staging an extra game abroad starting from
the 2010-11 season.

The "international round" of fixtures could be played each January, with 10
matches played abroad in cities such as Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles,
Singapore, Sydney, Johannesburg, Dubai and Beijing.

MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis said that the MLS were intrigued by the
idea, but wanted to ensure the plans gained FIFA approval before getting
involved.

"We will have to wait and evaluate the proposal," Gazidis said, noting that
there were many issues for FIFA to consider beyond the games themselves.

"I don't see it as a negative for MLS, but the implications go beyond these
games on their own,"' he added.

"There are implications for the game worldwide. There are implications when
matches are taken across borders in this way."

However, if the idea does get the go-ahead, Gazidis wants MLS to be part of
it.

"If this were to happen it's something that we would be involved in," he
said.

"We are the premier promoter of international soccer in North America and
clearly we would like to get involved."

Through their Soccer United Marketing division, MLS promote not only their own
competitions but also international fixtures and exhibition tournaments
throughout North America.

MLS have worked closely with the Premier League on a number of initiatives in
the past, Gazidis said, and he understands why they have chosen to go ahead with
the idea.

"We've always had a very close relationship with the Premier League and I
know [chief executive] Richard Scudamore well," Gazidis said.

"I think he's a very visionary leader and I think he understands that if the
Premier League is going to continue to push its' position forward it needs to be
moving forward and not just standing still. Richard is looking to push the
envelope but at the same time he understands that he can't push it too far.

"Many leagues are working to become the first 'world league', and the Premier
League is looking to take leadership on that," he added.

The American market has already seen this idea in reverse, with the US major
leagues taking their own regular-season contests overseas.

The NFL will return to London in 2008 for a regular-season game at Wembley,
following the huge success of last year's game between the New York Giants and
Miami Dolphins, while the NHL also opened its season with two games in London
last September.

In March of this year, Major League Baseball will open its season with a
series between the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics in Tokyo.

"One of the phenomena that we've seen around the world is that the exhibition
game circuit is less attractive than it was," Gazidis said.

"Football fans around the world are more sophisticated than they've been
before and everyone wants to see the real thing. This is why when the NFL went
to London they took the real thing and that is why the Premier League wants to
export the real thing. There is a thirst for Premier League games."

While he understands why hometown fans are upset by the idea of their team
playing overseas, Gazidis rejected the idea that the decision was based on
greed.

"I don't associate a word like greed with this," he said.

"Clubs are looking to generate revenue primarily so they can compete for
international players in a very very competitive market."

Gazidis said it was up to fans to decide whether such games were a price worth
paying for keeping such players in the league.

On protests from fans about the ideas he added: "I'm sure that this is
something the Premier League has considered.

"Football going to change. A lot of things we now take for granted would once
have been considered revolutionary."